To ensure that the various segments of a live broadcast, such as a news, weather, sports or financial broadcast are synchronized, broadcast facilities and news organizations have traditionally used manual cueing methods. For example, a master control operator monitors a show schedule log, as well as time clocks, to determine when time cues should be given to the on-air personnel. The master control operator provides time cues to the producer, typically by providing verbal cues via the station's intercom system. The producer in turn provides the cues to the stage manager, who is in the studio with the on-air personnel. The stage manager provides the cues to the on-air personnel, typically by using simple hand gestures. Although this process may differ slightly from studio to studio, it is the inventors' understanding that all current processes use a combination of verbal and visual cueing.
One disadvantage of the current methods is that they require a number of people to provide cueing information, which is expensive. This is especially true for those broadcasters and news organizations that provide live programming throughout most of the day. Another disadvantage is that errors can occur due to breakdowns in communication or other human errors.
Thus, there is a need for a system and method for cueing on-air personnel that requires fewer personnel and provides greater accuracy than current methods.